MARLBOROUGH - Barbara Summer, 78, passed away Sunday, Sept. 6, 2009 at the Bolton Manor Nursing Home in Marlborough from complications due to Parkinson's disease. She is survived by her six children, David, Eric, Mark, Kurt, Kristin and Heidi, as well as her six grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Barbara led a varied and fruitful life.
Before she was married, Barbara was a nun in the order of the Sisters of St Joseph, stationed in upstate New York. During her married life, Barbara raised her six children while living in many areas of the country including, Ohio, Missouri, Indiana, New Jersey and Massachusetts. She was a breast cancer survivor. Following her divorce in the early 1970s, she returned to school, eventually earning a master's degree in speech pathology from Northeastern University in 1978.
Barbara taught school as a speech therapist in Holliston, Yarmouth and Lincoln, as well as in New York state. For many years, she was a member of the congregation at St. Bridget's Church in Framingham. She enjoyed playing the piano and singing, was a voracious reader and loved a good game of Scrabble.
Besides her offspring, Barbara leaves a great legacy of helping many children overcome their problems speaking and relating to others. Barbara will be laid to rest with her parents in Saugerties, N.Y. Condolences may be sent to her daughter Kristin in Hudson. A Memorial Mass will be held at a later date. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Fitzgerald & Collins Funeral Home (www.CollinsFuneral.com), 378 Lincoln St., Marlborough.